Variable fluid proportioner



Aug. 29, 1967 R. M. GUNZEL. JR., ETAL 3,338,173

VARIABLE FLUID PROPORT IONER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 2l, 1965 1 iilWf W w y W w Aug- 29" 1967 R. M. GUNZEL.- JR.. ETAL l 3,338,173

VARIABLE FLUID PROPORT IONER Filed Juiy 21, 1965 I 2 sheets-sheet ,s

United States Patent Office 3,338,173 Patented Aug. 29, 1967 3,338,173 VARIABLE FLUID PROPORTIONER Rudolph M. Gunzel, Ir., 2035 Robin Road, San Marino, Calif. 91108, and Donald R. James, 9816 Donna Ave., Northridge, Calif. 91324 Filed July 21, 1965, Ser. No. 473,699 2 Claims. (Cl. 103-271) ABSTRACT F 'I'HE DISCLOSURE A device for introducing a rst fluid into a stream containing a second fluid by the use of a venturi effect including an outer pipe having an inner pipe inside of the outer pipe, and a passageway through the outer pipe in communication with the interior of the inner pipe. The outer pipe has an internal shoulder toward and away from which the inner pipe is movable .to adjust the portion of the uid owing 'between the pipes.

This invention relates to the mixing of llowing uids, and more Iparticularly to :a device for pumping, proportioning and mixing two or more uids over a wide range of flow rates and pressures at maximum efficiency.

The device of the present invention will have a large scope of application and therefore should not be limited to those specifically disclosed herein. However, the invention has been found especially useful for mixing liquid fertilizer with water for distribution through lawn sprinklers.

Conventional aspirator type devices are impractical as liquid fertilizer mixing devices for sprinkler systems as a different kind of device must be employed with each different kind of sprinkler system. This is due to the fact that a smaller constriction, or venturi, is Vrequired for smaller systems, whereas the small venturi in a larger system creates such a small constriction that insuiicient pressure is received at the sprinkler heads.

In accordance with the device of the present invention, the above-described and other dis-advantages of the prior art are overcome by providing a variable uid proportioner.

In accordance with the invention, a main passageway is provided Vwith an auxiliary passageway connected thereto in a manner to divert at least a portion of fluid owing in the main passageway. A suction passageway is then connected to the auxiliary passageway and means are provided to adjust the portion of uid diverted through the auxiliary passageway.

In accordance with the foregoing, a by-pass is formed in the main passageway and the device of the present invention may be adjusted for -a sprinkler system of any size or number of sprinkler heads.

Although the device of the present invention will be found to be useful in distributing liquid fertilizer, insecticide and other -chemicals for use in the horticulture art, the present invention is not limited to these particular uses. It is, in fact, a salient feature of the present invention that it can be employed to induce a secondary stream of any fluid into a primary or main stream of uid. The primary and secondary streams of lluids are then mixed in a predetermined and adjustable ratio.

The above-described and other advantages of the present invention will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings which are to be regardsd as merely illustrative FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a variable tluid proportioner constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional View therethrough taken on the line 2-2 sh-own in FIG. 1 with the adjustment mech-anism turned degrees;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device taken on the line 3-3 shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of the device shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal 'sectional View of still another embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view of the device of the present invention with an adjustment turned 90 degrees, but taken on the line 7 7 shown in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device taken on the line 8-8 shown in FIG. 6.

In the drawing in FIG. 1, one embodiment of the inven tion s illustrated at 10 including a main body 11 having an auxiliary body 12 slidable therein on lins 13.

Auxiliary body 12 has an inlet conical surface 1'4 and an outlet conical surface 15. Body 12 is shiftable from the solid line position shown at 12 to .the dotted line position shown at 12. Main body 11 has an opening 16 which is closed by a rotary plug 17 against which an O-ring seal 18 is pressed by a fitting 19. Plug 17 has an eccentric hole 20 int-o which a fitting 21 is located, iitting 21 'being threaded to auxiliary body 12 and having an opening 22 to form the suction inlet.

When plug 17 is turned 90 degrees from the position shown, in FIG. 1, auxiliary body 12 will move half way between the positions indicated at 12 and 12. Body 21 will then appear in the position as shown in FIG. 2. Plug 17 may |be turned 180 degrees from the position shown in FIG. 1. In this case, -body 21 will move from' the solid line position therein indicated at 21'. The amountof rotation between 0 and 180 degrees given to plug 17 will determine how much lluid ows around the outside of the auxiliary body 12 between iins 13. This will also determine the amount of suction that the device of the invention will develop. In general, a minimum amount of suction is desired so that the device 10 will introduce as little pressure head loss as possible. The minimum diameter of the auxiliary body 12 will be of a size to fit the smallest type of installation. In general, body 11 will be threaded at its ends as indicated at 23 and 24 to lit a standard %inch pipe thread.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS.

4 and 5. In this embodiment, a main body 24 is provided with a smaller Ibody 25 inside of it. Body 25 is constructed similarly to body 12. However, ibody 25 is not movable inside of body 24. Body 25 has a plug 26 lxed to it to hold it centrally in body 24. A suction tube 27 is threaded into plug 26. Tube 27 has an opening 28, as before, which is in communication with the interior of body 25. A nut 29 is threaded onto tube 27 and holds a gasket 30 tightly against body 24.

The amount of water which is permitted to pass between the external surface of body 25 and the internal surface of body 24 is adjusted 'by moving a cylinder 31 toward and away from the right end of body 25 as viewed in FIG. 4. Cylinder 31 has sealing O-rings 32 and 33. A wing Ibolt 34 is threaded into the body of cylinder 31. Wing bolt 34 projects through a longitudinal slot 35 in body 24. The length of possible travel of cylinder 31 is indicated in dotted lines at 31. When cylinder 31 takes the position shown at 31', wing bolt 34 is moved to the position indicated at 34' in FIG. 4.

Still another embodiment of the invention is indicated at 36 in FIG. 6. This embodiment is similar to that shown o in FIG. 1 to the extent that all parts are identical with positions shown in solidV lines in FIGS'. 6- and 8. When plug 17 is Yturned 90 degrees, tube 37xbends slightly as system. This is due to the fact that a smaller venturi isrequired for small systems, whereas a small venturi in a larger system creates a pressure head loss which is intolerable. Note will be taken that all of the devices of the present invention described hereinbefore are adjustable. This means that each may be adjusted for a minimum suction. This makes it possible to use any of the devices in a small or large sprinkler system Without having the intolerable pressure head loss which was attendant upon the use of prior art venturis. In particular, in FIG. 1 the amount of suction the device produces can be adjusted by rotating plug 17. The same is Jtrue of the device shown in FIG. 6. The device shown in FIG. 4 has t-he same adjustment in that movement of cylinder 31 controls theamount of fluid which is passed through the smaller body 25.

From the foregoing, it will also be appreciated that all of the embodiments of the invention may be usedto mix together not only a plurality of fluids disclosed herein, but also any other uids by inducing one into another. What is important in this case is that the uids may be mixed in a portion which is adjustable with the rotational position of plug 17 in FIGS. 1 and 6 and withv the axial position of cylinder 31 in FIG. 4.

Although only three speciiic embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated herein, many changes and modifications will of course suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. Three embodiments have been selected for this disclosure for the purpose of illustration only. The present invention should therefore not be limited to the embodiments so selected, the true scope of the invention being defined only in the appended` claims.

What is claimed is:. 1. A variable uid proportioner comprising: a larger 4.: main pipe having an inlet passageway, an outlet passage- Vway, and-a hole through the wall thereof between said passageways; a smaller auxiliary pipe inside said main pipe at said hole, said auxiliary pipe having longitudinal fins extending radially therefrom to said main pipe to guide longitudinal movement of said auxiliary pipe inside of said main pipe, said auxiliary pipe having an outside diameter smaller than the inside diameter of said main pipe and being spaced therefrom to allow Huid to flow in the space between said pipes, said main pipe having a shoulder therein, said auxiliary pipe Ibeing movable axially in said main pipe toward and away from said shoulder to vary the amount of uid owing in said pipes; a round plug rotatable in said main pipe hole; an eccentric suction tube extending from said auxiliary pipe through said plug spaced from the axis thereof, said tube being rotatable in said auxiliary pipe to move the latter axially upon rotation of v said plug.

2. A variable fluid proportioner comprising: a larger main pipe; a smaller auxiliary pipe inside said main pipe, said auxiliary pipe having longitudinal ins to hold it slidable centrallyy Within said main pipe, said main pipe having a transverse opening therethrough at the position of said auxiliary pipe; a rotatable body in -said opening, said body having a hole therethrough, saidauxiliary pipe having a transverse hole therethrough; and a flexible tube-like body connecting said holes, said rotatable lbody hole being eccentric to the axis of said body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,653,954 12/ 1927 Friedmann et al 103-272 1,659,686 2/ 1928 Hard 103-271 2,856,234 10/ 1958 McNair et al 137-604 2,875,702 3/ 1959 Bletcher et al 137-604 2,946,293 7/ 1960 Henshaw 103-273 3,011,443 12/ 1961 Nielson 103-273 3,282,227 11'/ 1966 Nielson 103-27 1 DONLEY I. STOCKING, Primary Examiner.

W. I. KRAUSS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A VARIABLE FLUID PROPORTIONER COMPRISING: A LARGER MAIN PIPE HAVING AN INLET PASSAGEWAY, AN OUTLET PASSAGEWAY, AND A HOLE THROUGH THE WALL THEREOF BETWEEN SAID PASSAGEWAY; A SMALLER AUXILIARY PIPE INSIDE SAID MAIN PIPE AT SAID HOLE, SAID AUXILIARY PIPE HAVING LONGITUDINAL FINS EXTENDING RADIALLY THEREFROM TO SAID MAIN PIPE TO GUIDE LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID AUXILIARY PIPE INSIDE OF SAID MAIN PIPE, SAID AUXILIARY PIPE HAVING AN OUTSIDE DIAMETER SMALLER THAN THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF SAID MAIN PIPE AND BEING SPACED THEREFROM TO ALLOW FLUID TO FLOW IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID PIPES, SAID MAIN PIPE HAVING A SHOULDER THEREIN, SAID AUXILIARY PIPE BEING MOVABLE AXIALLY IN SAID MAIN PIPE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID SHOULDER TO VARY THE AMOUNT OF FLUID FLOWING IN SAID PIPES; A ROUND PLUG ROTATABLE IN SAID MAIN PIPE HOLE; AN ECCENTRIC SUCTION TUBE EXTENDING FROM SAID AUXILIARY PIPE THROUGH SAID PLUG SPACED FROM THE AXIS THEREOF, SAID TUBE BEING ROTATABLE IN SAID AUXILIARY PIPE TO MOVE THE LATTER AXIALLY UPON ROTATION OF SAID PLUG. 